Nicholas Franco, Author at Cryptic Rock

Equilibrium – Erdentempel (Album review)

Nicholas FrancoNicholas FrancoJune 17, 2014

In a world where the pagan/folk explosion has saturated a once exclusive genre, it is not easy anymore to truly distinguish oneself within pagan metal’s bloodied and battle-tested realm. Equilibrium formed back in 2001 in Munich, Bavaria, deep in the heart of heavy metal’s adopted ... Read More

Impaled Nazarene – Vigorous and Liberating Death (Album review)

Nicholas FrancoNicholas FrancoJune 17, 2014

Godfathers of the Finnish black metal scene along with Beherit and Archgoat, Impaled Nazarene has been defecating their brand of speedy, aggressive black metal since the early 1990’s. Steeped in themes of sexual deviancy, Finnish nationalism, and goats; Impaled Nazarene has over eleven studio albums ... Read More

Metsatöll – Karjajuht (Album review)

Nicholas FrancoNicholas FrancoJune 17, 2014

Otherness; it is a word we usually reserve for more disturbing, mind-bending forms of death and black metal. It rarely pops up when talking about folk metal, but with Metsatöll the term crops up each and every time they come on the stereo. It could ... Read More

Vader – Tibi Et Igni (Album review)

Nicholas FrancoNicholas FrancoJune 10, 2014

Having been around since 1983, Poland’s death-metal stalwarts Vader have actually only released nine studio albums. Never far from the consciousness of extreme metal maniacs everywhere, nine albums in over 30 years might come as a bit of a surprise. Album number ten is all ... Read More

Interview – Tomas Lindberg of At The Gates

Nicholas FrancoNicholas FrancoJune 6, 2014

It is not often a band writes an album and changes the world. With 1995’s Slaughter of the Soul At The Gates capped off a short run of immense success with one for the ages. Along with Dark Tranquility and In Flames, At The Gates put their ... Read More

Gamma Ray – Empire Of The Undead (Album review)

Nicholas FrancoNicholas FrancoMay 21, 2014

Kai Hansen may be a name most people associate with the German thrash institution Helloween. The truth is, although the guitarist did co-found the band, he soon went on to form another globally successful powerhouse called Gamma Ray. Beginning life in 1989, Hansen did not ... Read More

Nicholas Franco

Equilibrium – Erdentempel (Album review)

Impaled Nazarene – Vigorous and Liberating Death (Album review)

Metsatöll – Karjajuht (Album review)

Vader – Tibi Et Igni (Album review)

Interview – Tomas Lindberg of At The Gates

Gamma Ray – Empire Of The Undead (Album review)

Equilibrium – Erdentempel (Album review)

Impaled Nazarene – Vigorous and Liberating Death (Album review)

Metsatöll – Karjajuht (Album review)

Vader – Tibi Et Igni (Album review)

Interview – Tomas Lindberg of At The Gates

Gamma Ray – Empire Of The Undead (Album review)

This week in horror movie history – C.H.U.D. (1984)

This week in horror movie history: Hell Night (1981)

Cryptic Rock presents this week in horror movie history- 1982

Interview – Garrett Hedlund

Interview – Dave “Snake” Sabo of Skid Row

Interview – Bronson Arroyo

The Unraveling (Movie Review)

The Front Room (Movie Review)

Blink Twice (Movie Review)